The invention relates to a connecting arrangement for connecting supply lines across a gap between railway vehicles, comprising at least one flexible power line and at least one flexible fluid line.
It is common practice to use a plurality of railway vehicles or locomotives coupled together. The vehicles may be interconnected electrically and pneumatically to provide power there between and to enable a locomotive driver to simultaneously actuate the controls of all vehicles from one control panel.
Electrical connections between vehicles and between pantographs of adjacent vehicles, respectively, are conventionally provided by jumper cables which are releasably or permanently installed on adjacent ends of the coupled vehicles.
To connect vehicles or pantographs to a fluid circuit of a train, e.g. a pneumatic circuit, connecting tubes may be arranged between adjacent vehicles and between adjacent pantographs, respectively. As well as the jumper cables, the connecting tubes must be configured flexible to compensate relative movements between adjacent vehicles. The fluid lines may serve to control pneumatic or electro-pneumatic brakes of the vehicles and to activate or to power pantographs, which are usually arranged on the roof of railway vehicles.
Connecting arrangements of the type described above are not entirely satisfactory due to the fact that, in particular when coupling vehicles of a train, a high number of power lines and fluid lines have to be handled to interconnect the power and fluid circuits. Hence, operating and mounting of the known connecting arrangements is cumbersome and expensive.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved connecting arrangement for electrically and pneumatically connecting railway vehicles or pantographs of a train, which is easy to handle.